


When The Final Curtain Falls

by Khoshek



Category: Sing (2016)
Genre: And I'm bad at summaries, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, I REGRET NOTHING, I am so sorry, Johnny is a cinnamon roll, Nah I'm not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-16 09:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10568751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khoshek/pseuds/Khoshek
Summary: When Johnny get's shot by gangmembers that his father had been messing with, his mind escapes the pain while Marcus has to witness his life falling apart.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Man I really hope my English isn't too shitty. Sorry in advance xD (also, this is my first fanfiction evah so yeh.. idk sorry for the bad writing x3)

The only sound filling the dark alley was the occasional 'drip' of a few raindrops falling to the ground. It had rained earlier that evening, and the smell of a warm summer day mixed with rain still hung in the air.  
The concrete beneath Johnny was damp and cold, making him shiver. He didn't know for how long he had been lying there. All he knew was that his body was screaming in pain, aching with every move he tried to make. He felt light-headed and his limbs felt heavy. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm down his racing pulse.

They had caught him out while walking home from rehearsal. Johnny knew that they were part of a gang that his dad had been messing with for a while and that they were trying to get him back. But none had tried to get to him through Johnny before. They didn't dare. His dad had always protected him, making sure he wouldn't get hurt and hunted down anyone who got too close. 

He should have known better. 

Johnny had tried to reason with them, begged them when he saw the gun being raised at him. They didn't listen. 

He hadn't even felt the bullet when it pierced his skin and buried itself in his chest, he only saw the blood starting to soak his shirt, only felt the cold concrete beneath his back when he fell. He didn't scream or cry when the pain set in. 

Johnny was scared. He didn't want to die alone, didn't want to go before getting the chance to say goodbye to his friends and his father. He wasn't ready to lose it all. But with every passing moment, his heart slowed down a bit more and the pain he felt slowly faded from his aching body. The scarlet stain that soaked his shirt grew wider as he felt his limbs slowly going numb. 

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell onto the dark sky above him. It was a calm and clear night and Johnny smiled in delight when he saw the stars glisten and gleam. They looked like diamonds from down here. Maybe he'd become one of them soon, shining just as beautiful as the others. But when the stars started to fade, Johnny wondered if it was because of clouds or because of his fading consciousness. 

His heart was barely beating anymore and he felt weak from the large amount of blood loss. There was no strength in him left to keep his eyes open and all he wanted to do was fall asleep and escape the pain and cold. 

 

Johnny didn't try to open his eyes again when he started hearing the soft melody. It was quiet and distant, but he heard it nonetheless. And with every passing second, the melody grew louder. The gentle tune painted a smile on his lips. He remembered that melody, somewhere in the depth of his mind he knew that he had heard it before. 

And when he was finally able to open his eyes again, he wasn't in the dark alley anymore. Instead, he was surrounded by rows of red velvet draped seats, a dark red carpet covered the whole ground beneath him and dim but elegant lamps hung from the walls, casting the whole scene in a beautiful orange light. He was in a theatre. But this wasn't like the New Moon theatre where he had spent so many days. It was larger, more elegant and stunning. The sculptures and patterns on the walls were more detailed and defined, draped in satin and gold. The paintings hanging at the entrance were beautifully drawn and the lights cast shadows in the perfect way. Johnny's gaze fell onto the ceiling where a large and breathtaking painting of the night sky could be seen. Bright stars and colourful fogs adorned the ceiling and it looked as though the whole building didn't have a roof. 

Johnny felt the warmth return to his body, the smell and the sight made his heart beat faster and the hair on his neck stand on end. Tears stung his eyes as the melody grew louder and joyful memories of his times at the theatre flooded his mind. It was breathtakingly beautiful and he knew that there were no words to describe the overwhelming emotions and beauty of it all. 

Johnny didn't want this moment to end, but when his gaze fell onto the stage he couldn't stop his tears from falling. His throat and chest tightened, joy and sadness replacing everything that he had felt before. And as he stood before the wooden stairs, a sob tore itself from Johnny's throat. 

„Mum?“ his voice cracked as he stared up at the woman sitting at the black ivory piano, her delicate hands gently playing the soft melody on the keys. Memories of how she had played it for him so many times when he was younger rushed back to his mind and his breath hitched. He stared at her in awe, pain and happiness plain in his smile. 

His mother looked away from the piano and the melody stopped, silence returning to Johnny's mind. Her smile was warm and gentle, and her eyes were as beautiful as he remembered. She reached out to him and Johnny didn't hesitate, his heart aching when he took her hand. She was warm and solid. 

This had to be real, this couldn't be a dream. 

– 

Johnny's body began to twitch. The coldness seeping into his bones made him shiver and weaker. The blood flowing from his wound started to form a puddle beneath him as the red stain on his shirt grew.

–

He sat down next to her and she leaned against him, raising her hand to his cheek to gently stroke it.

„Oh, Johnny..“ she laughed and smiled in joy, her voice was as soft as Johnny remembered „You've grown so much..“ her smile grew wider as she reached down to take his hands.

„I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.. I left you, I'm sorry.“ her smile began to fade „I wish I could have been there.. I'm so proud of you.“ 

Her smile had grown sad, sorrow and regret clear in her eyes as she looked at him. Johnny quickly shook his head and smiled at her, his eyes still burning from tears. 

„Nofing's your fault, mum. It's all okay now.“ he said and it was true. He had missed her, he was scared, but it seemed alright now.

She leaned back again, her smile completely faded. 

„You shouldn't be here, Johnny.“ her voice was quiet. She turned her head, her gaze falling back onto the piano. 

„Why are you here?“

–

Johnny's chest heaved, his lungs and mouth filling with blood, making him gag and choke. His body twitched again as pain shot through him. He couldn't breathe.

–

„I don't know..“ Johnny lowered his gaze and looked at their intertwined hands „I can't really remember. There was just.. pain and silence. I don't know why I'm 'ere.“

His mother looked at him, tears falling from her eyes as she shook her head.

„You can't stay.“ she started pushing Johnny away, her voice sounded pained. „You deserve so much more time, Johnny! You don't belong here.. you have to go back.“

He huffed and layed his hands onto her shoulders, looking into her sad eyes. 

„I won't leave you, mum.. you deserved more time, too. You weren't supposed ta leave yet! You were supposed to stay with da' and me! You're the one who shouldn't be 'ere!“ more tears streamed down his cheeks, but he didn't care anymore. 

–

The silence was pierced by a horrified scream. The woman who had found Johnny immediatly called an ambulance when she saw all of the blood. She was hysterical. He was pale and unmoving, blood still gushing out of his bulletwound. It didn't take long for the ambulance to arrive.

–

She shook her head again, looking at her son with tearfilled eyes. 

„My time had run out, Jonathan.. there was no way to change that.“ she layed her hand onto his cheek again, trying to make him understand. 

„You have to go back.“ 

Johnny smiled, a certain sadness and pain in his voice.

„I don't think that I can, mum..“ 

–

Barry had been close by when he heard the scream and immediatly called Marcus when he saw what was going on. He tried to stop the bloodflow by pressing his jacket against the wound but he knew that Johnny had already lost too much blood. 

–

Johnny gently guided his mother's hands towards the piano again, smiling at her. 

„I'm with you now, mum.. I won't leave you anymore.“ he sat up and layed his own hands onto the keys, gently starting to play the tunes just like she had earlier. The melody was soft and calming. The fear and worry that he had felt slowly started to ebb away.

„I'm not perfect at playing the piano.. I think there's still a lot that you could teach me?“ a small smile formed on his lips and he gently nudged her. „Play with me.. please?“

Her smile grew again and she nodded, although the sadness never really left her eyes as she started playing the soft melody alongside him.

–

Marcus had been discussing their next plans with Stan in the garage when he got the call from Barry. His blood had run cold and he dropped the phone before immediatly getting into the car. He didn't know how many stop signs or red lights he ran over or how many accidents he caused, and, given the situation, he didn't care either. 

He felt his anger rise when he got to the place. A crowd had gathered around the scene, watching and gawking as the paramedics tried to revive Johnny. 

He pushed through them, growling and screaming at them to leave. And just as he was about to punch one of the medics who tried to hold him back, he saw his son lying on the ground. There was so much blood covering his body and on the ground, there was no sign of life in him.

–

Johnny closed his eyes when they started to play together. The melody was even more beautiful than before. The brilliant tune filled the whole theatre as they continued their duet.

He knew exactly how to play the melody, he had listened to it so many times as a child. 

How could he ever forget?

–

Marcus knew that this was his fault. That he was the reason why his son was dying right now. That gang that he'd been having problems with had told him he'd regret his actions, that he would pay for messing with them. 

He'd brushed it off. Disregarded it as a hollow threat. 

He called out to Johnny, begged him to hold on, to stay with him. For the first time in ages, Marcus felt fear. Cold and cruel fear, making his heart beat faster and tears sting his eyes.

Those gang members had signed their death sentence.

–

As Johnny continued playing on the paino, he could hear voices starting to crowd the theatre. Hushed whispers filled the room, listening to the melody as it grew louder, more powerful and complex. Johnny smiled. 

–

„Stay away from the body! Ready? Go!“ another electric shock cursed through Johnny's body, making his heart beat weakly again. Marcus shouted, cried, in hope that Johnny would hear him and wake up.

He had torn himself from the medic's grip and rushed over towards his son. He made sure not to interrupt them, but no one dared to push him away when he knelt beside them, talking to his son, trying to get him back somehow.

Johnny didn't hear him. 

–

Johnny opened his eyes again. The theatre was filled with a blur of people, all of them staring at them in awe as he and his mother played. The lights grew brighter and the stars on the ceiling started to glow as they played the last notes of the melody.

The song came to an end.

–

„We're losing him again!“

„Give him another shock! Come on, boy, don't give up on us!“

–

The melody ended, the theatre filled with silence again. 

Johnny turned his gaze back to the audience again and shivered at the sight of all the people watching. And when the first one started clapping, everyone else joined and suddenly the whole theatre was cheering joyfully. 

He felt a grin spread over his lips. The lights, the sounds, the cheering, the joy.. it was overwhelming.

The warmth of it all enveloped Johnny and he laughed, bowing a little just like Mrs. Crawley had showed him the first time he had performed on stage.  
This was what he had always imagined, what he always had wanted. And it was even more beautiful than in his dreams.

He turned to his mother with wide and excited eyes, hugging her. All the pain that he had felt before was gone, the worries and fear had faded. 

This was it. He had accepted what was happening. And even though he never got the chance to say goodbye to his dad, his friends, his family.. it was okay. He would be with them again someday. He would wait for them.

He wasn't afraid anymore.

And as the warmth and the joy filled the theatre, lighting it in a beautiful glow, the final curtain fell. 

Everything faded.

–

The life in Johnny's eyes vanished as he drew his final breath. His chest stopped rising and falling, his heart stopped beating and his once joyful eyes with that special glint in them were now faded and lifeless. Dull.

The medics had tried everything and Marcus screamed at them to bring him back, that he'd do anything to get his son back. But when they looked at each other, sadness written on their faces and shaking their heads, he knew that it was too late.

Johnny was gone. His son was gone, and he would never come back.

He cried out and pushed them away, cradling his son close to his chest. He begged him to wake up, to open his eyes and smile again. Laying a hand on Johnny's cheeck and wiping away a bit of the blood, he cried and pleaded. This couldn't happen, he couldn't lose another person he loved.

„Please, Johnny!“ his voice cracked, it sounded broken. 

„Please don't leave me! I'm sorry for not protecting you enough, I'm sorry for being a horrible father, I'm sorry for everything that happened! Just.. please, give me another chance..“

His body started shaking uncontrollably when he didn't get a response.

„I'll change, I promise. I'll make everything better.. please.“ he cried, leaning his forehead against his son's. He regretted everything in that moment. All the bad decisions, all the times he had pushed Johnny or forced him to play a part in the gang, everytime he had called him son weak for backing out on a plan.. he regretted it, wishing he could change the past.

He hated himself.

Marcus wasn't sure for how long he'd been sitting in the alley. No one had dared to tear him away from Johnny. They didn't want to make it worse.

Marcus pretended, imagined, that Johnny was alive again. That he would be with him again.

And as his tears fell to the cold and bloodstained ground, a quiet and distant melody from long ago filled the sorrowful silence. And even though none of them could hear it, the warmth and the joy of the melody made it all the more beautiful.


End file.
